The present invention relates to plate glass repair apparatus, a plate glass repair structure.
Glass breaks or cracks, such as in plate glass, mar the visibility through the glass, but oftentimes do not affect the usability of the glass. In many instances, such breaks or cracks themselves can be repaired, substantially restoring the visibility through the glass, obviating very expensive and time-consuming replacement of the entire glass panel which includes the break or crack.
One of the problems in the repair of glass breaks or cracks is that the rough edges of the area and the break and possible striations refract light in patterns different from the normal refraction of the glass, impeding or destroying the normal visibility of the glass. A break in the plate glass usually goes through the entire plate in the form of bullseye or bullseye with variations.
It has been found that glass breaks can be filled with transparent resins which protect the formerly broken areas and which substantially restore the visibility to the repaired area. Such repair in the past has generally required complicated mounting devices and systems. The equipment and techniques were also so complicated that only experienced operators could use such equipment. Such repairs have also not adequately obscured the outlines of the break.
In the past, a simple improvement in the repair of glass adopted the use of a pedestal adhesively mountable over a break. The pedestal was a small plastic device adhesively sealable surrounding a break, sealed against inflow or outflow of air or liquid. The pedestal enabled, simple inexpensive apparatus to effectively substitute for the expensive, complex apparatus of the past. The pedestal of the past was primarily designed for use with safety glass. Safety glass repairs usually required the use of pressure and/or vacuum.
The disclosure of U.S. Pat. No. 4,280,478 discloses a pedestal. The pedestal is also usable for the repair of plate glass. The particular pedestal is different from structures in the prior art as applied to the art of glass repair. The pedestal is distinguished by a flange and seal, adapted to override and surround a break in glass. The pedestal is significant in its mountability, simplicity and economy and is distinguished from other structures disclosed in the prior art with regard to glass repair, with the exception of the pedestal disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,132,516. The pedestal in U.S. Pat. No. 4,132,516 has many similarities to the pedestal of the U.S. Pat. No. 4,280,478 patent and mold of the present invention.
The present invention is a novel mold, system, structure and method for simply and inexpensively using a mold which may be fixed in place like a pedestal for the improved repair of a glass break, particularly in plate glass.